Precious Water!

I am sure it is going to be a fight for water that is going to dominate the world rather than a fight for land or oil or nuke resources!

Having dwelled in the housing board quarters at Madurai and having experienced the acute water shortage during summers, the water shortage that we see in Bangalore is nothing new to me. In fact, I am surprised to see folks not able to manage a cut in water supply for couple of hours. Of course, it is annoying. But I sincerely believe that we got learn to deal with it. Now is the time! It is the time to learn and educate the younger ones also to cope with it. No matter what ever we do, we need to be disciplined in the usage of water and it can come by only through practice. A collective attitude, which has to come from within.

The weekend that just passed by was a special one for us. It was decided by the folks at our apartment that a new bore well needs to be installed to take preventive actions to counter the hot and dry summer that was fast approaching.

Trucks arrived. Pooja was performed. And the drilling started resulting in huge noise and dust. People discussed the ifs and buts of the approach. Some were confident. Some were hopeful, while some feared the might of the rocky layers of Kaggadaspura. The senior folks showed maturity and were bold and confident. It was interesting to observe each one’s opinion.

While all that was happening I was thrilled to see the equipment dig-deep into the soil. A few of us took turns to supervise the effort and it made us discuss topics ranging from God’s concept of the creation of layers to each of ours first experiences with bore wells. Then there would be hours of just staying silent and watching the power of the drilling machine do the talking. Pipe after pipe went in and every time we would count it and note down the time.

A chat with the guy who was at work raised concern levels when he sighted unlucky experiences which yielded no water even after 1000+ foot drilling effort. Fortunately, we saw the first signs of the water bed at around 650 foot and felt happy. The operation was shut down late night and resumed early morning. We soon touched round about 950 foot to be convinced that water heights touched our target level of 2 inches.

Water! Water! Water! Save the precious water!

Road Fighter!

It has been a long time since I had the time to write here. Not that I am having plenty of it now. Just wanted to get over the stress and involve myself in something else. I have an interesting story this time around.

The other day I turned into a road fighter. Literally! I fought with a traffic cop - a traffic warden to be precise. And how is this traffic warden different from a traffic constable? Will come to that a little later.

I was returning early from office and was running late in picking up my wife from office. There was traffic beaming from all angles. Onward traffic from the other lane was stopped and two wheelers on my direction were allowed to go on that lane as well. I too followed the crowd and switched lanes. Accidentally I found the cop on the center of the road. He showed signs of avoiding to be hit. But I had the control to stop well in advance and avoided hitting him. However he approached me and snatched my bike keys and went on to do his routine at the center of the junction at the Jeevan Bhima Nagar junction at Bangalore.

I calmly stepped aside and parked my vehicle on the pavement. In two minutes time I approached him and told him I had taken the other side only after seeing it as a practice for the past few days. He claimed that such a thing could only be done when he was on the center of the road handling traffic.

“Ok. Give me a ticket!” – phat came my reply. He smiled and asked for Rs.500. I said “No Way”. He bargained and came down to Rs.100. I kept declining.

Traffic Warden: (In Kannada) If Sergeant comes now, you will have to pay a heavier fine. Is that Ok?

Me: Yes. Call him!

Traffic Warden: Go and wait.

Me: I cannot. I need to go. Give me a ticket.

Traffic Warden: Pretends to call the sergeant (his big boss).

Me: Ask him to come soon.

Traffic Warden: Gives me a bad look and continues to route the traffic.

Then, I went near him, clicked a snap of him and said “I am definitely going to make a complaint against you”.

By such an act of mine, he got pissed off and hit my mobile. My dear instrument bounced on the road and the battery popped out. By this time I was the angriest man in the world. Traffic was beaming on all four directions but no one moved sighting the actions that were happening. I picked up the mobile and told him “I am from the Press and see what is going to happen”. Visibly tensed and not knowing what to do, he threw the key on the middle of the road. I picked it up and asked for his name as he did not have a badge. Tones went high. We had a heated argument (cinema like action with just the hands waiting to get into the act) at the junction much to the amusement of the onlookers.

Before I went on to use my fists, people dragged me off to the pavement. I cooled down, composed myself and went ahead to pickup my wife. I checked the snap that I had clicked and was not convinced with the image. So, on the way back I went back to the same junction and tried clicking a snap or two of the same cop. The traffic warden was aware of this. My adrenaline was pumping fast and I was desperate to do something about the incident. I wanted to make an official complaint against the guy for harassing me by asking bribe and for authoring the first scratches on my V3i gifted by my better half.

All that going on, the Sargent came on that road with a truck full of bikes. In a desperate effort the warden stopped the van on the center of the road and complained against me taking pictures of him. Initially I traced a few steps back and then realized that I had nothing to lose. My heart wanted me to take the fight straight on and said “come on! Why trace back?” I immediately turned back and approached the Sargent.

Both of us placed our case in front of him. The warden promised his boss that he never asked a bribe. But when the onlookers where on my side he was baffled and the Sargent had no words to reply. He just said “these guys are like that only! Carry on.” He followed it by instructing the warden to get back to his job in a stern manner.

I won the fight!! I walked back to my bike. I heard a few saying that such cops deserve that and a few saying such cops will never improve what ever you do.

On the contrary, I admire the warden, who does his job so meticulously on the parallel road (80 foot road). I would even nominate him as the best traffic cop I have ever seen in my life. Any time you are on the road and if he is present, you could see his total commitment towards his job. He should inspire you some way or the other. It would leave you ask yourself “what would he get in return?”.

Two roads. Two personalities. Inspirational stories of a different kind.

And who are these wardens (non-regular traffic constables without any name badges, with an army cap on a white/khakhi uniform without any starts on the shoulders)? I came to know that they are low profile criminals who are under rehabilitation program.